dempster



(No Model) 2 Sheets-Sheet; 1.

J. DEMPS'TERX: W. J. HORTON. COMBINED PIRBMENS LADDER AND FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented June 19,1883.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. DEMPSTER & W; J. HORTON. COMBINED FIRBMENS LADDER'AND FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 279,545. Patented June 19} 1883.

A mnnnnvnnnnnfl nnm I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I UNITED STATES PATENT OFF ICE.

JAMES DEMPSTER AND \VILLIAM J. HORTON, OF HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA,

CANADA.

COMBINED FIREMANS LADDER AND FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,545, dated June 19, 1883,

I Application filed February 10,1883. (NomndclJ To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J AMES DEMPSTER and WILLIA J. HORTON, subjects of Great Britain, residing at Halifax, in the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Firemans Ladder and Fire-Escape, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of tire- IO escapes which comprise extensible ladders, means for elevating the same, and means for conveying the same from place to place for use. The objects, construction, advantages, and novelty of our invention will be hereinafter described and specifically set forth in the claims.

Refeif'ring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a fire-escape constructed in accordance with our'invention and represented as in position for use. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective of the upper end of the main-laddersupporting frame and the adjacent parts" of the apparatus, a portionof the frame-work being broken away to more clearly show details.

of construction. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the truck and bed-piece of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a plan of one end of the bed-piece and its adjacent mechanism. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4, and of the ladder frame-work mounted thereon. Fig. 6 is a modification hereinafter described. Fig. 7 is aperspective of the bracketsupporting wheel.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the 5 figures.

Some of the principal objects of our invention are to produce an apparatus which is readily transportable, quickly arranged for use, adapted to all the usual circumstances of situation, location, condition of the ground,

and character of the building, and other conditions under and at which it is'desired to use the apparatus, and, although adapted in every respect to private use, it is designed to take the place of or may be considered an'addition to the usual hook-and-ladder truckof organized fire-departments, for which purpose there may be added to the truck herein shown the usual devices and features of construction em-- 5o ployed to accommodate the same to the carriage power.

supply means for the rescue of persons, which can be operated at the same time that the ladder or ladders are in use by the firemen with out interfering with the work of the latter. Other objects and advantages will appear during the description of the invention.

A represents the truck, which may be pro vided with facilities for drawing it from place to place by either manual, horse, or steam In the middle of the truck is secured a circular turn -table, B, the lowerhal f of which is supported upon the truck pivotally at b, so

as to be capable of rocking upon said pivot. The front and back edges of the turntable rest upon wedges b, operated by screws b, whereby the wedges are forced beneath or withdrawn from under the turntable in order to determine its position-as, for instance, when the rear end of the truck stands on a lower grade than the front end, the rear screw, I)", will be turned, so as to force the rear edge beneath the turn-table, and the front screw, IF, will be turned so as to withdraw the front edge, I), from under the turn-table, thereby elevating the rear edge and depressing the front edge of the turn-table relative to the truck, and thus maintaining the former in a horizontal position. It will be understood that at this time the ladders are in a compact form-that is, not distended as shown in Fig. 1-and are placed upon the bed-plate C, and

that said bed-plate, being secured in any suitable manner to the upper movable portion of the turn-table B, is disposed lengthwise upon the truck instead of crosswise, as shown in said figure, in which condition the apparatus is when being moved from place to place. The

adjustment of the turn -table, as above described, may be accomplished either before or after the ladders are elevated. Suitable devices-such as turirbuttons aon the sides of the truck may be used tokeep the bed-plate in line with the truck, and leather straps will retain the ladder securely upon the bed-plate. Braces or bolts a' may be used to keep the bed-plate in position across the truck.

The bed-plate 0 consists of any suitable frame-work adapted to support the principal elements of mechanism which we employ, which comprise, mainly, alongitudinally-disposed ladderelevating screw, 0, having a double thread of high pitch or rapid feed. At one end (preferably the rear end) of the screw is awinch, crank, or handle, a, to operate the same. 7 7

To usethis ladder, after the truck has arrived opposite the building where. it is required,

and while the bed-plate C is yet in line with the truck, the ladder is removed by the truckmen from its supports upon the truck and laid on the ground in the rear of the bed-plate and truck, and placed with its forked lower end straddling the bolt (2, carried by the rear end of the brackets E, hanging from the bedplate (1, and the guy-rods of the ladder are then hooked to the arms projecting from the sides of the nut 0, upon the screw 0',

, and while two or more firemen raise, first by hand and then with boat hooks or poles, the outer end of the ladder, other truckmen turn the handle a and complete the raising of the ladder by'means of the screw 0. The bedplate and ladder are then swung around the truck to the position shown in Fig. 1. I

A platform, 0 is secured to the bed-plate, upon which platform a person may stand to operate the screw or,.in case of an excessive load upon the ladders, many persons may stand thereon to counterbalance said load. A

nut, G, adapted to travel upon the screw C, is provided with arms 0, adapted to ride orfit guides e, fixed to the bedplate and extending from end to end thereon. The arms 0, projecting from the sides of the nut (i are adapted to receive at their ends two guy rods, 0, which are connected to the ladder-frame D,

being crossed or not, desired, before reaching said frame. Intermediate posts, 0", as shown in Fig. 1., may be used or not, as desired.

The front end of the truck (see Figs. 4. and 5) is provided with two rigidly-conneeted brackets, E, the feet of which are each provi (led with adjustable supporting or steadyi n g screws E, which, when inoperative position, rest upon or may enter into the ground or pave-' latter being provided with a shifting-gear, 0",

having a feather entering a groove upon said provided with ratchet-wheels to reeeive-pawls secured to the frames to arrest their motion when desired.

The ladder-frame 1) comprises two light but strong side pieces secured parallel. to each other by two or more tie-rods, (I. The feet of the ladder-frame are grooved to straddle the rod 0 in the brackets E, and said feet are perforated for the reception of a pin or bolt, 6, passing below said rod, whereby the ladderframe is secured to the brackets of the bed-' plate C. The construction of the brackets, their adjustable supporting and steadyiug hand-screws, and the lower end of the ladderframe is such that the ladder-frame virtually rests upon the groundethat is to say, the'load upon the ladder is supported bythe ground, substantially, in its entirety, and still there is such connection,between the bed-plate and the truck and the ladders that desirable adjust ment for the purpose of maintaining the ladders at any desired angle is secured. If desired, braces D may be secured pivotally to the sides of the ladder-frame with their free ends resting upon or entering theground, and be employed to steady the ladder-frame and ladders.

The mainladder F is permanently secured within the la('lder-frame. In the upper tie rod (Z. is a loop, 0., or it may be a pulley mounted at this point on the tiered, over which an endless rope, d, is made to pass. At the lower end oftheladdeiefi-ame is awind lass. d about which said endless ro )e )asses two or three times, in order to grasp the same with suflicient friction to cause the rope to travel by turning the Windlass. The latter carries a ratchet-wheel. to receive a pawl, and arrests the lowering of the upper ladden Secured to the rope is a hook, (7", adapted to receive the round of the secondary or extension ladder F, which is maintained in the opera tive position within the frame I) by suitable straps, f, secured to the l:ulder-trame. Below the hook (I is a swivel-link, d, sm-ew-threaded to fit an eye-bolt, il in order that the tension of the rope (1 may be regulated, as shown in Fig. If the rope used is not an endless rope, as shown in Fig. 6, each, hook engaging with a round of the ladder, said rope must be slackened for the purpose of disconnecting the ladder F, when desired, as is sometimes the case when, after reaching the roof of a building, the firemen desire to carry the upper ladder with them to reach an adjacent higher building, in which case the hook is lowered suificiently by slackening the tension to be re moved from a round of the ladderused for as cent or descent.

As thus far described, the apparatus is adapt ed as an ordinary firemans ladder. Tosecure thefurther object, whereby the apparatus is adapted for use as a fire-escape, the rear edges ofthe ladder-frame are provided with T guides or rails G, upon these guides sliding blocks G ride, being provided with .T grooves adapted to fit the rails, and are connected by the tie-rod y. To the sliding blocks is pivotally supported one end of a car, H, at or near the other end of which is the bail h. In the upper end of the main ladder F are secured two pulleys, h. From the bail h the rope 7L2 extends over one of the pulleys h to the windlass e in the brackets E. From the tie-rod g at the inner end of the car extends a rope, I",

over the other pulley 71/ to. the Windlass e in the brackets.

The car H consists of a light strong framework, the bottom of which is a series of rounds, and it and the sides may be entirely covered with canvas or wire-netting, as also may the scribed.

top, or with any other suitable fabric for the purpose of protecting persons and property thereln from sparks or water, or from the danger of falling therefrom.

As thus far described, it will be seen. that by turning the windlass e independently of the Windlass c the rope l1 may be wound or unwound to depress or elevate the outer or free end of the car in order to direct it into or toward a window, from which persons or property may be rescued by entering or being placed in the car. Now, persons so entering might pass through the rounds of the main ladder F and descend thereon; but in order not to obstruct the use of the main ladder by the firemen the windlass 6 may beturned and the free end of the car brought close against the ladder-frame. \Vhen the windlass c is turning, by throwing the intermediate gear, a into mesh with the pinion on the Windlass 6 both windlasses are operated mutually and uniformly, and thus the car is brought to the ground. (See dotted lines, Fi 1.) It is'apparcut that the free end of the car need not be brought against the ladder-frame, for while operating the Windlass mutually, as described, the car may be elevated and depressed bodily in a horizontal position from the ground to the various stories in a building.

If desired, the secondary ladder may be provided with a pulley or pulleys, over which the rope or ropes connected to another car or basket, I, may pass, and be operated eitherby hand or additional. windlasses to. rescue persons or property from higher stories, and de liver them or it either into the car or upon the ground.

Various modifications may'be made in the details of construction herein shown, and various principal elements employed by us may be used in connection with co-operative elements other than those herein shown and de- For instance, the elevating-screw, the bed-plate, and the brackets may be used with other truck-ladder and escape constructions. Other means of connecting, bracing,

and steadying the bed-plate and ladder may be employed. Other specific rails and sliding tion of the windlasses may be changed. Ve

therefore do not restrain ourselves to the exact details in these and similar respects, but deem such modifications comprehended by our invention.

Instead of wedges to level up the turn-table, setscrews may be employed, passing upwardly through the truck and working against the under side of the turn-table at each side of it. Pivot ropes or chains may be substituted for the rods 0*.

To prevent the brackets E from accidentally trailing on the ground when the truck is passing over depressions in the ground, the rear part of said truck can be elevated above the axle by means of a liftiligscrew, I), passing through the axle, and the latter is retained connected with the truck by means "of iron straps b, pendent from said truck and of such length as to permit it to be sufficiently elevated.

To support the lower end of the bracket E when the bed-plate is swung around with the ladder-frame resting upon the bolt 6, the central. portion of said bolt is provided with a bar, 6, through which passes a vertical stem carrying the caster-wheel c".

Having described our invention and its operation, what we claim isl. The combination of a truck, a ladder supporting and operating bed-plate mounted thereon, and having ladder-supporting brackets resting 011 the ground, and an interposed turn-table located centrally in the length of the truck, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a truck, a turn-table, a'bed-plate provided with ladder-supporting brackets adapted to rest upon the ground at one end, and a platform at the other end, substantially as specified. V

3. A bedplate provided with a longitudinal screw, a nut provided with arms, and brack ets adapted to support the end of the ladder close to the ground,with means for connecting the ladder and the arms of the nut, substantially specified.

.4. A bed-plate pivotally supported upon a truck and provided with brackets extending close to the ground and adapted to support a ladder, iii-combination with adjustable handscrews, as described.

The combination of a bed plate provided with a turn-table and having brackets supporting windlasses, a ladder-frame provided with a ladder, a Windlass, and an endless rope having means for connection to a secondary ladder, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of a bed-plate having brackets supportin windlasses, with a ladder frame having guides or tracks, acar pii'ot-all y secured .to sliding blocks on said tracks, and ropes secured to the car and to the, Windlass, substantially as specified.

7. The combination,with a ladder-truck, of the brackets in therear thereof, the two windlasses, and the shifting-gear, substantially as specified.

8. The combination, with the ladder-truck and the ladder-frame, of the twobrackets, the two windlasses, the shifting-gear, and the car pivotally secured to the ladder-frame, substantially as specified.

9. The combination of the truck A, the turntable B, bed-plate (T, wedges Z), and screws IF, substantially as shown and described.

10. The combination of the bed-plate G, hav ing guides a, longitudinal. screw 0, having a nut provided with arms 0, and guy-rods, substantially as shown and described.

11. The combination of the bed-plate 0, its rear bracket E, and platform 0 with the truck A, substantially as specified.

12. A combination of the bed-plate O, brackets E, cross-bars c thereon, and the ladder frame D, substantially as specified.

JAMES nEMPsTEn ILLIAM. J. HORTON.

Witnesses:

E. E. 1VIASSON, WV. B. MAssoN.

Witnesses to William J. Hortons signature:

0; H. WHITMAN, W. Fnncnsou. 

